Stringed musical instruments, such as guitars, mandolins, bass guitars and violins, have been used for many years. Their sounds have brought most humans many hours of enjoyment and they are among the most important of all musical instruments. Although many prior-art stringed musical instruments work very well, there are, however, certain features which they lack.
For example, some people would find it desirable to make it easier to customize the look, feel, properties, and performance of a stringed instrument to suit an individual user's long term preference or his current desires. Normally with prior art stringed instruments it is difficult or virtually impossible to change most aspects of the instrument once it has been purchased.
In certain cases it would be desirable to be able to more compactly carry and ship a stringed instrument. This is particularly true for a player who would like to take with him the equipment necessary to provide different musical qualities, such as the different qualities of a twelve-string and a six-string guitar, or different tonal qualities, such as mellow, bright, loud, and brassy tonal qualities.
For some players the angle of the fingerboard of the neck along its major axis relative to the player's body and hands is awkward. This can be particularly true for players with certain physical handicaps, such as carpal-tunnel stress syndrome.
Finally, many musicians, particularly rock musician, desire to have guitars which have a look which is different from that of traditional stringed instruments, and they may often desire to change that look at different times.